Tuesday Morning Starting Five: The Loss of a Child Leaves You in Constant Mourning Edition
Sorry for the sad post, but make sure you keep the families in your thoughts and prayers. Don’t take your loved ones for granted EVER. Finals preview tomorrow. I guess most of you know who I’m picking.
A Constant Mourning written by a talented writer over at SV. She lost her son in 2004. Please read.
This story hit me hard and not just because I consider her a friend. (Sable Verity)
The author of They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, passed on May 29th. Here’s his site. (The Journal of African Civilizations)
Top blacks in NYPD demand changes following Omar Edwards shooting. (NY Daily News)
Yankees are rolling. 18 straight games without an error is Major League record. (MLB.com)
Elena Delle Donne, who was the 2008 High School player of the year and abruptly quit basketball after signing with UConn because she was tired of the sport, is returning to the court to play for the University Delaware. In a crazy way, this may affect my daughter. (Delaware online)
Both are these cats are my peoples but yet and still, Ron Artest calls out Chris Webber and TNT. (Ball Don’t Lie)
Remember the complaint where three members of the New Black Panther party were accused of intimidating voters on election day in Philly? Case dropped. (Washington Times)
Was Jimi Hendrix murdered by his manager? (Guardian)
Sade to record first album in 9 years. Welcome back baby girl! We missed you. (Reuters)
Search continues for Air France jet. 228 were on board. (NY Times)
Don’t expect a GM fire sale. (CNN Money)
Indian college students are being attacked in Australia. (Al Jazeera)
I read Sable’s story. Really touching. My heart goes out to her.
Webb and Ron Ron. Can’t we all get along?????
Go Yankees!!! C.C. is earning that paycheck. Rivera is still doing his thing. Teixeira’s bat is off the charts and the defense is rocking!!!
Thanks for the perspective post.
I remember meeting Dr. Ivan Van Sertima back in the 1980′s in undergrad. He had a very gentle demeanor, but he was also a big man with a powerful voice and a passion for his work. Dr. Van Sertima should be remembered for the diligence of his efforts and his willingness to seek out and engage thoughtful, honest debate with all comers.
He was a fine scholar and will be missed. The list of bright lights remaining on this side is getting shorter. Asa Hilliard, John Henrik Clarke…
Remember the ones who are gone, but remember those who remain.
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I just read Sable’s story as well. Thanks for sharing it, and I pray that she finds peace.
Vince Young has finally thrown down the proverbial gauntlet to Titans management, play me or trade me…
It’s a risk, but I believe he knows as long Jeff Fisher is there, it won’t work out… Vince probably feels betrayed by Fisher, but this is something he must do. Vince SAVED Fisher’s job in 2006 and Fisher in turn tries to undermine Young’s career and give mixed signals about whether he is the franchise QB … Fisher may have wanted Matt Leinart, because they hired Norm Chow (Leinart’s USC coach) preceding Vince being drafted…Bud Adams wanted Vince …
Vince knows he will be criticized and the alleged suicide attempt will be thrown in his face, but its time for VY to stand up and demand answers from the Titans…
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4223108
“I definitely want to get back out there playing ball and picking up where I left off, winning games and having a good time with my teammates and with the fans,” Young said, according to the television station. “At the same time, if them guys don’t want me to be in there, it’s time for me to make a career change for myself. Because the fact is I’m ready to play ball. If they’re not ready for me to play ball, then somebody is.”
If he’s as remotely ready to play as he SAYS he is, he should have no trouble at all in unseating Kerry Collins. Collins simply doesn’t have the play-making ability that VY has. If Vince is reading defenses and making his receivers better, it’s not even close.
And if Bud Adams wanted him all that badly, he should walk his ass down to the field and see for himself.
I’m still mad at the Texans for not taking him number one. Consider the turn of events that transpired after they chose to pass on a hometown hero.
I think the Texans like Matt Schaub a lot. The biggest problem that the franchise had before lucking up with Steve Slaton was having a running back. They drafted Domanick Davis out of LSU. He’s been injured ever since. They danced with Green Bay backs (Samkon Gado and Ahman Green) and even Ron Dayne. What a mess.
Vince probably would have been running for his life in Houston, too, and without the protection of a really solid defense or a power run game. At least he’d have two AWESOME targets (AJ, KW) on the outside and a good pass catching tight end (Daniels).
That was a great game, though, when he beat Houston on the final play a few years back.
Temple3:
Vince has spoken… and doesn’t want play Jeff Fisher’s games anymore… Jay Cutler called out Denver, why not Vince?
Either the Titans is HIS team or Kerry Collins’ team. There is no middle ground as evidenced by his response to the media… It’s an open challenge to Jeff Fisher. Vince doesn’t want to wait till Kerry Collins gets hurt. If they want Kerry, you can have him (and live with the consequences) –just let trade me to a team that has faith in me…
….” if them guys {Coach Fisher and the staff} don’t want me to be in there, it’s time for me to make a career change…”
…” I’m ready to play ball. If they’re not ready for me to play ball, then somebody is….”
Yes it was.
Patrick, I’m wholeheartedly with VY here. Because of the scrutiny of Black QB’s these days, it could actually be a while before he gets some run.
Do ya thizzle bruh. Get that burn.
Matt Schaub is entering his third full year with the Texans and has yet to lead the Texans to the playoffs. To me he may be this decade’s version of Chris Chandler. He has some talent, but needs a lot of help for things to go well for him. Additionally, Schaub has shown he is injury prone–can’t stay on the field…just like Chandler..
This year will likely be a turning point year for Schaub. He has to put it together and starting living up to that big contract he received in 2007.
***
One more note on Vince. The Titans may play hardball and refuse to trade him, but Vince knows the Titans overall is weaker defensively with the loss of Albert Haynesworth and Kerry Collins at 37 could get hurt or start the season 0-5 like he did in 2006.
Vince will play and may play well, but I don’t believe he will sign any extension with the Titans…the relationship between Fisher and Vince is OVER (in my opinion)…this bridge is burned beyond repair…
Patrick,
Good find with the article about VY. Glad to hear Vince being assertive. Collins’s best days are way behind him. He’s a backup for a contender, but he shouldn’t be starting for one. His relationship with Fisher is definitely strained, though. Fisher threw him in front of the bus, then got in it, and ran Vince over, then backed up over him again for good measure. I don’t know if the bridge with Fisher is beyond repair, though. Anything is possible. Enough zeroes on a contract can change a lot of peoples minds.
Matt Schaub has flashes of brilliance. But, he can’t stay healthy. It doesn’t help that the Texans still don’t have a good line. Now that they’ve worked on their defensive line, they need to upgrade their offensive line. If they want any success, they’re going to have to protect their qb, no matter who it may be.
Patrick:
You’re tipping the hyperbole can. You could have written that Schaub has just completed his second full year with the Texans and failed to lead the expansion franchise to the playoffs. To be fair, in his 1st season, the Texans were 8-8, but more experienced and powerful teams like Indy, Jax and Tenn all won 10 or more games. Last year, 8-8 was good enough for 3rd place in the AFC South (toughest division in football?).
This site could be wrong:
http://www.lohud.com/article/99999999/DATABASE02/81114043/-1/database
but if they’re not, Schaub’s probably not overpaid and doesn’t have that grand of a contract — relatively speaking. It seems like he’s not alone in his underachievement.
It’s not like failing to break through in this division with an expansion team is a huge failure. Particularly when you don’t have a short-yardage battering ram like Lendale White.
I like the Chris Chandler reference. You could be spot on about that. He definitely needs to stay on the field. With that said, it is worth bearing in mind that Andre Johnson missed 7 games in ’07. I suspect that if he’d been able to stay on the field, the Texans might have been the breakout team that so many predicted they would be. You could argue that Schaub’s “fragility” cost the team 2 wins over Indy last season.
Temple:
I think I am being fair in my analysis of Matt Schaub.
Schaub may have played in toughest division in football, but the only thing that matters is the end result…no playoffs. Jacksonville with David Garrard had an off year, Tennessee was beatable despite a great defense and Indy struggled for awhile through mid-season and were vulnerable.
Admittedly, the Texans have gotten better defensively with Demeco Ryans and Mario Williams and 2009 is a golden opportunity for the Texans to make their move and claim their first playoff berth in the franchise’s history.
I have always contended that Vick (being in prison for nearly two years) will WIN A PLAYOFF GAME(S) before Matt Ryan and/or Matt Schaub… Vick is out and likely will play in 2009, so my prediction may come true.
Schaub, so far, has been a ‘tease’ just like the aforementioned Chris Chandler. While in Atlanta, Vick had led a less talented Falcons team (playing in a very competitive NFC South) with a marginal defense, no All-Pro receivers, no franchise RB and was able to keep the Falcons competitive and took his team to the playoffs twice (including a NFC championship game)…
As you know, Schaub was a back-up in Atlanta and there was an undercurrent from anti-Vick folks and local and even some national media folks that Schaub was the better QB, and I think Mr. Blank was beginning to buy into anti-Vick hate in 2006 (despite the success he brought to the franchise and the sold out Georgia Domes, and the increased national TV games). Bobby Petrino was brought in to push Vick out of Atlanta …. Blank didn’t draft Vick in 2001, Dan Reeves did..Blank reaped the benefits, but he had hired Jim Mora (along with Gregg Knapp) to turn Vick into a West Coast QB (ala McNabb)…to me it undermined Vick’s success and potential, plus having Warrick Dunn, 185 lb RB be your featured back throughout Vick’s tenure was counterproductive. Once Vick left and Matt Ryan came in Blank FINALLY , they immediately DUMPED Dunn and acquired a power RB in Michael Turner in support of Matt Ryan…
Schaub, to me is over-rated, he has had a better overall talent around him along with an All-Pro WR in Andre Johnson and still find a way to come up short…
When I see Schaub, I see Carson Palmer or Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler. Highly over-rated and you can give them all the talent in the world, but they just don’t have ‘it’ to be a consistent winner and it is a struggle for these guys to lead a team to even a playoff berth…
This is a much needed article. So it stands to reason it will have a 24 hour shelf life on yahoo sports only.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AkCmZRIH5cSpeTtsfNE5AtFDubYF?slug=ms-trippintuesday0602&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Dr. Ivan Van Sertima was definitely one of the greatest teachers of our time, and now he’s among our ancestors. He will definitely be missed.
May his ka (soul) rest in hetep-u (peace) and may he be allowed in Amenta and Pet to become one with Ausar. Ase, ase.
Patrick:
you wrote:
The reason why I AGREE with your position on his health is because Schaub missed the Indy games and Rosenfels, walking turnover that he is, created new “Pisarcikian” ways to surrender those games.
With respect to talent, I don’t agree. First of all, at the end of the season, when Tennessee was seeking the top seed in the AFC, the Texans BEAT them and Schaub threw for 284 with no picks. Dude is in his second year as a player and their record was as good (against tougher teams) as the Chargers and Broncos (all 8-8). I think it’s too early to shut the door on his ability to make big plays. One of their biggest wins was a road game at Green Bay late in the season. The Packers defense was suspect, but they never imagined they’d lose to the Texans at home, especially not with Schaub throwing bombs in crispy, cold temps. Woodson and Harris got torched by Kevin Walter — then by Andre Johnson.
I like your prediction about Vick. I don’t know if you’re right, but I like the moxie.
Personally, I liked Chris Chandler. I thought he was very talented, but injury-prone as you’ve noted. If I may inject a bit of nuance, I believe the pro-Schaub sentiment in ATL was that he was a better pocket passer, rather than a better overall QB or player — and that the overall offense might be better served (in its efforts to become West Coast-ish) with a timing based passing attack. I think the criticisms were very specific and largely accurate (aside from the conclusions).
If I’m Vick, it might hard to justify throwing a 6 yard slant route on time to Brian Finneran when I can just wait for him to clear the zone and flash down the sideline for 30 yards. That’s all fine and dandy until Adalius Thomas catches up to you — which he did. And you get injured — which he was. So, Vick’s approach had limitations — but not with respect to Schaub who has faced even greater durability challenges.
Totally agree on Petrino. I really thought they were going for Brian Brohm. Totally agree on the impact of Mora/Knapp on Vick.
As a general rule, I’ve found that when teams miss the playoffs, you tend to only blame the QB. Not sure why that is the case. It has been the case with Denver and Houston. QB’s certainly should shoulder most of the blame in most instances, but I prefer to look on a case by case basis. For me, the jury is still out.
In the final analysis, I’m not so sure it’s Matt Schaub’s fault the Texans opened last season on the road at Pittsburgh, on the road at Tennessee and on the road at Jacksonville (overtime loss). Sometimes, it’s just a bit much to expect a young team to know how to win road games against experienced playoff teams at the beginning of the season. I certainly don’t expect it. It’s called a learning curve. Perhaps that’s why the Texans finished up 8-4.